We are all mortals until the first kiss and the second glass of wine. ~ Eduardo Hughes GaleanoTransc...

1. How to Develop a Taste for Wine
We are all mortals until the first kiss and the second glass of wine. ~ Eduardo Hughes Galeano
Transcending mortality (in a purely metaphysical sense) after the first kiss can be well understood
by those of us who have experienced the heady euphoria that accompanies such a kiss. Why, then,
does it take a second glass of wine, the classiest social lubricant, to elevate your spirits to the levels
of immortality? Well, just as you bestow worth upon a sweetheart whose affections you had to earn
after much hard work, you need to put in some time and effort to understand the finer nuances of
wine in order to fully appreciate its worth! For starters, there are more varieties of wine than you
can imagine and you may not like all of them equally (you may, even, totally abhor a few!). In order
to make up your mind about which ones you like, you need to embark upon a journey of wine-tasting.
You need to take your chances with more than one variety of wine in order to come up with your
'favorite wines list'. Discovering various types of wine and acquiring a taste for them is a gustatory
adventure and if you are passionate enough, it will take you places you never thought you would end
up in (ah no! I am not referring to a police lock-up or a sleazy bar in some slimy neighborhood!)!
That being said, here are a few tips on how to learn to enjoy wine and appreciate the difference
between various varietals and blends.
How to Acquire a Taste for Wine
Here is a step-by-step guide on how to get introduced to, and get along with, the aristocracy among
all alcoholic potions. Take heed and give yourself enough time as wine is not something you can
expect to size-up on the first sip alone!
Do Your Homework
Read up about various types of wines, methods of winemaking and aging, grape varieties and
cultivars used in making different wine varietals and blends, particulars of storing wine, history and
geography of winemaking, etc. Read all about the basics of wine tasting such as what kind of glass
to be used for which wine, how to sample different types of wine, storing and serving temperature,
etc. Visit vineyards and get to see the fascinating art of winemaking with your own eyes. If you're
anything like me and love reading and traveling, I'm sure you'll find information thus gathered very
interesting. Trust me, once you acquaint yourself with all this background information, you will find
yourself eagerly looking forward to the experience of tasting wine for the first time!
Ask Around
Seeking advice from the experienced is always the first step towards embarking upon unexplored
territory. Talk to people who understand and enjoy wine. Ask them how they got acquainted with,
and acquired a taste for, fine wine. Seek their suggestions on wine varietals/blends that are ideal for
sampling by an inexperienced palate. This way, you will be able to avoid going for very dry and
strong wines in the initial stages of acquaintance. You see, most people who do not like wine the first
time they sample it usually go for varieties that are suited for more mature and experienced palates.
The result is that they end up believing wine to be something too complex to agree with them,
labeling it as the poison of the intellectual snobs and cultural elites alone. Few people realize their
own mistake in selecting the right kind of wine for the right stage of experience.
Take it Easy

2. Here, by 'easy', I mean 'easy on the palate'. Start off with wines having a very low tannin content.
You see, the 'dry' or acidic feel that your mouth experiences is induced by tannins which are
astringent polyphenols. These give your mouth that 'sandpapered' feel. Remember, higher the level
of tannins in a wine, the 'drier' it feels. Some good beginners' wines with low tannin content are
Riesling, Merlot, Beaujolais Nouveau, Chianti, Rosé, White Zinfandel, etc. Many fortified and
dessert wines such as Port, Madeira and Sherry are also good options to start off your practical
journey of oenology.
Flirt with Variety
Sample a variety of wines before reaching a verdict. For instance, despite being red wines,
Beaujolais Nouveau (light-bodied, less tannins, sweeter taste and kind on the palate) is as different
from Cabernet Sauvignon (full-bodied, significant amount of tannins, stronger and dry on the palate)
as white is different from black! The factors which differentiate two wines from each other are
manifold and chiefly include the grape cultivars used, pressing method, aging, choice of storage
material, fortification or lack of it, etc. Therefore, it is advisable to sample many different varieties of
wines to make up your mind about which ones you like the best. Thereafter, you can experiment with
different brands and blends of those varieties.
How Cold is Too Cold?
Serving temperature matters. Very low temperatures bring out the acidity of a wine while a
temperature that is only slightly lower than the room temperature brings out the fruity and/or spicy
undertones of aroma and flavor. If you're a wine-virgin, it is always a good idea to 'lose your
virginity' to a sweetish wine served within a temperature range of 6°C-15°C, depending upon the
variety served. Remember, the less cold a wine is, the more likely it is to indulge your gustatory and
olfactory senses to its full capacity. On a general note, most of the white wines are served at or
around 15°C which is the average room temperature. Most full-bodied red wines, on the other
hand, are served at a considerably lower temperature as these wines release strong alcoholic
undertones when they get warm. However, lighter-bodied red wines may be served below room
temperature but chilling them too much before serving causes their fruity flavor to go largely
unnoticed.
Experiment to Discover Your Calling
Read up about food-wine pairings and try them out yourself. Thereafter, experiment with your taste
buds by pairing different types of food with different types of wines to see what agrees with you.
This way, you will discover that a lot of times, your taste of wine and your preference of food-pairing
differs significantly from all tried-and-tested formulas. I, for instance, discovered that I love drinking
port 'on-the-rocks' (weird? Not for me! I like the way the ice dilutes the heaviness of the flavor
without interfering with the sweet aroma!) and a Chardonnay-Roast Turkey combo just does not
make sense to my palate! Therefore, there's nothing wrong with your own tastes differing from that
of a professionally trained sommelier. Just stick to whatever combination agrees with you no matter
what the 'experts' say. Also, apart from pairing with different food items, try drinking different types
of wine at different times of the day, in different seasons and in different surroundings to get a hang
of what works for you. You see, there is seldom such a thing as 'one person, one wine' as most
people like to have different wines in different situations.
One of the most important ways of understanding the complex essence of a particular wine is to
make complete use of your ocular and olfactory senses besides your sense of taste. After pouring out
a glass of wine, raise the glass to your eye-level in a surrounding which has natural or soft light.

3. Take in the chromatic splendor of a red or pink wine and visually relish the effervescence of a
sparkling wine - if it doesn't make you marvel, your senses probably aren't elevated enough to
appreciate the finer aspects of life! Gently swirl the wine in the glass and take in the subtle aroma
that escapes the surface - the olfactory message works as a fuel that fires the anticipation of tasting
fine wine! Finally, take a slow sip, allowing in just about enough wine to sprawl over your tongue
without filling your entire mouth. Allow the wine to stay in your mouth like this for a second or two
before gulping it down. This way, all your taste buds get to process the complex (astringent-sweet,
woody-spicy, fruity-dry, etc.) gustatory information in a comprehensive manner, allowing you to
unravel the mysterious layers of the wine's flavor. I would like to extend another piece of advise
before signing off - do not compromise upon quality. Even if it seems expensive or even overpriced
(trust me, a good wine is NEVER overpriced - it is ALWAYS worth every penny spent on it!), it is
extremely important to purchase a premium quality wine for a first-time sampling. A mediocre
quality wine can ruin the first experience and this can be a big turn-off and discourage you from
giving wine another chance! Remember, no one ever forgets his/her first love or the first kiss -
things aren't that different when it comes to that first glass of wine either!